Reducing and refining apparatus



A. L, BAUSMAN.

REDUCING AND REFiNING APPARATUS. APPLICATION uzn MAR. a, 1919.

1,337,583, Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

TOR

' ATTORNEYS.

A L BAUSMAN msnucme AND msrmme APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. 1919. 1,337,583, Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVE OR. I

ATTORNEYS.

l handle and treated by the refiner.

snares EQUIPMENT corran 5., MAssAcHUsE'rTs.

Application filed March 8,

To all whom it may concern:

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reducing and Refining Ap- 1 v 1 too ie-llneo is is well understood in the art, the cocoa nibs are st luced to produce a coarse or unrefined chocolate liquor, and, then, this liquor is refined to produce the finished chocolate liquor. The apparatus of my in.- vention, not only combines in a single machine a reducing apparatus and a refining itus but also includes provisions, whereby the coarse and unrefined liquor is ucted directly and continuously fro reducer to the refiner, such prorhhons @(ljll c mechanism for treating sucli iquor to place it in proper condition to be Thus, provide an apparatus, whereby cocoa nibs can be continuously and uninterruptedly treated to produce finished and refined chocolate liquor, at speeds, and with a convenience and surety of superior product, heretofore unattainable.

One object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for the continuous and unin terrupted production of refined chocolate liquor from cocoa nibs.

Another object is to provide an apparatus combining a reducer, a refiner, and connect ing provisions therebetween for so treating the unrefined liquor from the reducer as to prepare it for subsequent treatment by the refiner. I i

To these ends, and also to improve generally upon devices oi the character indicated, my invention consists in the following matters hereinafter described and claimed.

Without restricting my invention thereto, 1 describe it in connection with the appa- Specification of Letters @atent.

iiATElNT F IcE.

JSIGNOR TO NATIONAL 7:5. A CSRPQRATION OF iatented Apr. .20, 1920.

1919. Serial N0. 281,515.

ratus illustrated in the accompanying drawngs, and embodying it. In these draw- 1ngs:-

Figure l is a side elevational view of the apparatus;

Fig. l is a fragmentary elevational view supplemental to Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is sectional elevational view of the hopper for the reducer, and its feeding mechanism 5 v Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end view of the machine illustrative of the delivery trough and adjacent parts;

Fig. ii is an end view of the pump actuating mechanism for the refiner, being sub- -1tially a reproduction of Fig. 2 of U. S. out No. 1,0353%, Bausman, Aug. 13, 2, grinding mill; and

Jig. 5 is somewhat conventional plan view of certain parts of the refiner, being istantially a reproduction of Fig. 9 of abovomcntioned patent, and having the p s moved all into one plane for purposes oi diagrammatic illustration.

The illui rated apparatus (Fig. 1) comprises the reducer B, the refiner C, and the present to say that, broadly, it is of the ial type having (Fig. 2) two stationary icing disks 1% and 15, and an intermee rotating reducing disk 13 for codperation with the stationary disks 14 and 15.

hese disks are designed and contoured for the primary purpose of reducing the cocoa nibs to produce a coarse or unrefined chocolate liquor and it is not practical or feasible to produce finished and refined liquor, with a single type or disk. As a result, and as now standard practice in the art, this reducer produces a coarse chocolate liquor in which the cocoa butter and the fibrous elements of the cocoa beans are not thoroughly combined and compounded into a smooth and uniformly mixed liquor capable of being properly fed into a standard com mercial refiner C of the type illustrated in the above-mentioned patent.

This refiner needs, for the present, no specific description. Elufiice it to note thatit comprises a disk 0 which revolves between two stationary disks f and g, the reducing sur'liaces of the disks being suitably contoured to refine the chocolate liquor. The

refiner also includes a pump (the parts a, t, o, 32, 33) for feeding exact measured quantities of unrefined liquor to each side of the rotating wheel. Now, it to be noted that, from the nature of the case, the reducing surfaces of this refiner are not well adapted for working on the coarse liquor as discharged from the reducer. And, it is to be further noted, that a measuring pump, particularly one of the piston type (which type has been found best, and is a standard commercial part of the aforesaid refiner) will. not handle well. the coarse liquor discharged from the reducer.

As pointed out above, one of the principal objects of my invention is the combining of a reducer and a refiner, of the character just above indicated, into a single apparatus in which the two machines will coact to produce refined chocolate liquor from cocoa nibs, continuously and uninterrupt edly. I produce the combination by combining with the two machines a third mechanismthe liquor conducting and preparing provisions D. This mechanism takes the discharge from the reducer and, while transmitting it to the refiner, prepares it for handling by the refiner. Thus, the com plete combination gives an apparatus which crmtinuously and uninterruptedly treats the material from the cocoa nib stage to, and through, the refined chocolate liquor stage.

This mechanism 1) comprises a cylindrical shell 1, which is supported at one end by the reducer and, at the other, by the refiner and which is connected at one end to the discharge hopper 2 of the reducer (Fig. 3), to receive the discharge therefrom and at'the other end to the inlet 32 of the refiner feed pump. Rotatably mounted in the shell 1, and extending from end to end thereof, is a combined means for conveying and treating the coarse liquor, such means being exemplified by the screw 3. This element 3 is a feeding element of such charact-er as to readily' receive and convey the coarse liquor discharged from the hopper 2, which liquor by reason of its thick heavy and stringlike nature does not readily flow, particularly to the degree necessary for it to'pass, or be drawn into, the passages o and past the valves u of the refiner pump. lhist-hick, heavy liquor will, however, readily pass into the casing 1 and be conveyor therein by the element 3. Now it is a known fact in the art that thick, coarse liquor oi the character mentioned may be softened and rendered of greater fluidity by subjecting it to a churning action. This, I believe to be due primarily to a thorough amalgamation or compounding; of the filbrous elements of the cocoa been with the cocoa butter constituents. thereof. According to this invention the type of liquor conveying element employed is so chosen as to be capable of ex: 1 ng g as by the screw element 3. Thus, the one element 3 serves the double purpose of con- *.*eying the coarse liquor and of so treating it during its conveyancethat it can be readily handled by the refiner pump as soon as it reaches the latter.

Preferably, as a valuable adjunct to the churning action of element 3 in softening the liquor and rendering it of greater fluid ity, a heating jacket a is provided, which jacket encompasses. substantial portion of the casing 1, as indicated in Fig. l. @011- veniently, the element 3 is rotated by gear 5 fixed to the shaft 6 thereof and the gear 5 meshes with a gear 7 fixed to a suitably supported shaft 8. The latter is, in turn, driven by a chain 9 and suitable sprockets from shaft 10, whichis driven by a gear 11 fixed thereon. This gear 11 and its shaft 10 are the driving means for the reducer B, which, therefore, will next be described.

The shaft ll) described is rotatably mounted in a pedestal and extends therethrough and projects therebeyond to carry the rotating cirtular reducing disk 13. At each sire of the disk i3 are stationary circular reducing disks 1%, suitably supported by the pet estal 12. As here shown, one disk M is directlycarried by the pedestal and the other is adj ustably supported by bolts 16 upon the pedestal ant is pressed toward the other disks by springs 17. Each dis: 1% has an aperture 17 therein, through which the charge is fed to the space between it and the central disk 13, the charge being delivered from a hopper 18 all as shown in F 2.

Each hopper 18 includes, among its pro visions, loos ning and agitating mechanism and associated with both is a mechanism for continuously and automatically delivering substantially equal quantities of material into each. will be first described. A measuring hop per 19 is carried by arms 20, one at each side thereof, which arms are mounted for oscillation about the axis 21, so that the hopper 19 will discharge first to one and then to the other hopper 18. Below the outlet of the hopner19 is arcuate shield 99 curved about the axis. '21 as a center and extendingfrom front to back of tie hopper 19, and bridging the gap between the hoppers 18. At each end this shield is proi'iied with an upstanding wall 23. The outlet portion of the hopper 19lies between .hese walls 23, and the side walls of such p tion are ansrtured, as 24, to present a passage for the material. Adjustable gates 25 are pr vided for the apertures 24. hopper oscillated by a rod 26 which connects the arm 20 to the crank Q8 of an oscill table cranlr29 (Fig. 1).

n the drawings this rod 26 lies behind The latter mechanism another rod e l to be later described.) The crank 29 is pivoted to the frame at 30 (Fig. 1) and receives motion from a link 31 which connects it to one arm 3st of a bell crank lever, the other arm 35 or" which is connected by a ball joint 87 to one end of a link 36 which extends and is suitably connect d to a crank pin fixed eccentrically on face of? a gear 39 driven by a 40, fixed on the described share it).

The loosening and agitating mechanism of the hopper comprises the reciprocable push rods il, one for each hopper 18 and means for actuating them. As to this actuating means :the pivot pin 30 of the crank 29 is fixedly connected with the latter to be oscillated thereby, and carries thereon crank L2 2). This crank 42 is connected by pin and slot connection 43 to the upper end of he left-hand (Fig. 2) rod 41, to r ciprocate the same. F or reciprocating the other red d1, the pin 28, which, as before described, is carried by the crank 29 and has the rod 26 pivotally connected thereto,

has also a rod ie pivotally connected thereto. This rod extends across the hoppers 18 and has its other end connected to a crank (Fig. 1) fixedly connected to a shaft 46 oscillatably mounted upon the hop per wall. This shaft -16 has fixed thereto a crank t? which is connected by a pin and slot connection %S with the other rod d1. S0, both rods 41, and the hopper 19, are actuated from the ear to on the shaft 10.

It is in the driving of the gear 11, and in the mounting of the shaft 10, that the nereiy structr al aspects of the hook up etween the refiner and the reducer appear. he upright 0 of the refiner C or the aforel Patent 1,035,301 is modifieu slightly orii, as con'ipared with the showing in said patent, and increased in height to provide a bearing or the shaft 10. And the shattli: oi the refiner is extended to t (Fig. 1) beyond the pedestal c to 'ry, fast thereon, the gear d9, the latter same.

It now remains to describe the refiner C, and its more important features will be described, but only briefly, for reierence is made to the aboveinentioneiil Patent 1,. e: tor a full disclosure thereof and description of detailed matters with which the present invention has no concern. I reto the present drawings and to said patent, by the reference characters used in said patent, and used in the present drawings to designate like parts The refiner comprises the central rotatable reducing disk 6 flanked at each side by a cooperatin stationary reducing member f or g. Liquor is fed in measured quantities through the pipe 2 to the member 9, and through the pipe 3 to the member These quantities are measured out by the pump elements a, a, t, 32, 35, which include the measuring piston and a slide valve so actuated with relation to the piston that, while liquor is being drawn in behind the piston from the distribution chamber 32, a measured quantity is being discharged through the slide valve to one of the pipes or The valve and pump operating mecha nism is shown in some detail in Fig. at, but since it is like that described in the afore said patent, and shown in Fig. 2 thereof, it is believed not to require specific description here. Sufiice it to say that the rotating disk e and the pump are driven irom the pulley 27, by ay of the main driving shaft is, a pinion on the shaft 7c in mes i with the gear 7:, the shaft A, the eccentric m and the cam n, the shaft A being supported in the uprights 7) and d and the shaft being supported in the uprights (Z and 0, all as more "fully described in the patent.

The operation of the apparatus will suilicientlv appear from the foregoing description. It is, however, particularly to be noted that the refiner of the type described is char acterized in that equal measured charges are supplied to both coacting pairs of reducing disks. The reducer, according to this invention, has likewise been so arranged that to each coacting pair of reducing disks, measured and substantially equal charges are supplied. Furthermore, the measuring hopper 19 is preferably so arranged as to supply to the reducer a supply of nibs substantially equivalent to the charge of liquor supplied to the refiner, and the feeding elements of one operate in substantial synchronism with the feeding); elements of the other.

Thus, l have provided an apparatus, which is so constructed and assembled that cocoa nibs or the lik can be fed to the reducer and converted into the usual coarse and unrefined liquor, such liquor treated to make it suitable for introduction into the commercial refiner, and then refined. in a continuous uninterrupted operation.

It is recognized that modification may be made in the one embodimen of the invention herein disclosed for illustrative purposes and it is therefore desired to have the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims, interpreted by the spirit of the present disclosure rather than by the letter of the exact form disclosed.

What I claim is 1. The combination with apparatus for reducing cocoa nibs or the like to the condition of a coarse liquor, of an apparatus for reii ing such liquor and including a measurfeed pump by which the liquor is forced to the refiner, and a combined churning and conveying means to which the coarse liquor from the reducing apparatus is automatically supplied and by which such liquor is automatically mixed and rendered suiticiently fluid to enter said pump.

2. The combination with apparatus for reducing cocoa nit-s or the like to the condition of a coarse liquor, of an apparatus for refining such liquor and including a measuring feed pump by which the liquor is forced to the reh'ner, and a combined churning and conve in means to which the coarse lit nor from the reducing apparatus is automatr' termined quantities of chocolate liquor thereto, a reducer including means for in; surnig and delivering determined quantities of cocoa nics r the like thereto, means for conducting the discharge from said reducer to themeasi'lring and delivering means of said refiner, and means for operating the measuring and delivering means or said refiner and the measuring and delivering means of said reducer in substantial synchronism, thereby to deliver in a given time a quantity of cocoa nihs to the reducer substantially equivalent to the liquor supplied by the delivering and measuring means to the refiner.

5. In an apparatus oi the character indicated, in combination, a refiner including a main driving shaft, a driven refining element, a driven measuring device, and ClIlV- ing connections between said shaft and said element and said device, a reducer includ ing a driven reducing element and driving connections for said e ement, a driven memher located. opcrat'ivel between said refiner and said reducer to receive the discharge from the reducer, prepare it, and deliver it to the measuring device of said refiner, and driving connections between said main shaft and the driving connections of said reducer, and between said shaft 21' said member, whereby said various driv parts are all driven from said main driving shaft said refiner.

6. in an apparatus of the character indicated, in combination, a refiner presenting a driven uring device, a driving shaft operatively connected with said element and device to drive the same and carrying a gear, a reducer presenting a driven'redncing element and a driving shaft eperatively connected with said element to drive the same and carrying a gear, a criven member arranged operati ely between the refiner andreducer to receive the disch from the latter, prepare it, d deliver it to the measuring device of the refiner, driving connections bet vcen said member andthe driving shaft of the reducer, and a main dr'ving shaft 0t rying gears, one to engage with the gear oi? the reliner and the other to engage with the or said reducer.

T. in an apparatus of the character indicated, in combination, a refiner presenting a driven refining element, a reducer present ing a driven reducing element, a driven member located operatively between the reliner and reducer to receive the discharge from the latte churn it, and deliver it to said refiner, and a common means for driving said refiner, reducer, and member.

ALUNZU LINTON BAUSMANQ ning element and driven meas- 

